Social Primer

With the imminent re-issue of Take Ivy around the corner, it got me thinking (and Googling) about the original Preppy bible, The Official Preppy Handbook by Lisa Birnbach. Since the 30th Anniversary of TOPH is upon us, I wondered where Lisa Birnbach was and what she is up to these days. A link to her publisher’s website, Knopf, landed me on her new book due out August 10th. Called True Prep.  I am not so sure about this new cover, so ... Read More

If you thought the 2010 Academy Awards red carpet scene looked like the March of the Penguins you would not be too far off the mark. To push the point further, one could say the men looked like clones of one another with no individual style. Again, your aim would be precise. And this is entirely the point. At least when we talk about men's black tie. Men should strive not to stand out, so I note with pride and satisfaction that ... Read More

And the Oscar Goes to…. Oh, who knows? This is really just an excuse to beg you to watch Food, Inc. The most important film of the year, decade, maybe ever. I will be back on Monday with SP’s  highly-anticipated and most-viewed post of the year (Best Dressed Men at the Oscars!! So important!)  but thought we needed a little gravitas to balance those imminent exclamations. High and low. You know the routine. As for this documentary, I can't say enough and won't ... Read More

[caption id="attachment_2068" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Brooks Brothers F/W 2010. source: ivy-style.com"][/caption] A note to the uninitiated: New fashion collections are presented to the press six months before the clothes hit stores. The recent men's shows in New York are a preview of what will be on shelves in the Fall of 2010.  Also, this post is loaded with links. Click on the bold underlined words and phrases for additional visuals. Men’s Fashion is another one of those kooky oxymorons you hear bandied about from time ... Read More

The mail bag here at SP General Delivery has grown bulky (and some might say dusty, some of these were sent so long ago. Sorry.) So now it is time to sit down at the desk, pull out the quill and put our readers’ whirring minds at rest. Bribery Quid Pro Quo Hello, SP. Yours truly applied to grad school and got accepted. This is good. Lots of credit goes to two co-workers who each wrote a glowing letter of recommendation. ... Read More

Plantation columns and blankets of snow are not often heard in the same sentence uttered in the Deep South. If a southerner sees snow at home during his lifetime it is as rare as, well snow in the South land. And actual accumulation is even rarer. The recent snow storm that swept across the Lower South (or Gulf Coast) lived up to prediction. Around noon last Friday, it was evident that this would be an extraordinary event, so I grabbed the camera, ... Read More

It should come as no great surprise to anyone when I state that my reading and writing tend to be pretty old-fashioned. Hell, it took the Great Recession to make me tolerate The New York Times online. (I had to give up the luxury of doorstep delivery because it is rather pricey). I live for the crinkle of a newspaper, the tearing out of articles and the underlining of striking passages. I attempt to bring that sensibility to the writing here ... Read More

Commenting and advising on the interaction between would-be paramours would seem a bit off subject here on SP, but we respond to the readers and the readers this week have been pushing their romantic frustrations. Public behavior is addressed here and this subject definitely falls into that category. In the quest to form a more perfect gentleman, here is a little insight from a woman waiting to meet her man. Anne writes: Re: Changing our meeting habits Dear SP, We single girls run around town ... Read More

Well, another perfectly good evening was close to ruination. The cause? Inconsideration and a total lack of decorum by a few cretins masquerading as gentlemen. There is an appropriate quote from Fitzgerald in Tender is the Night, I believe, lamenting the lack of decorum in men but the passage escapes me so I'll take this time to paraphrase (crudely). There are many things a man can and should do when out and about in public: be polite, well-dressed, groomed, always courteous ... Read More

The ideal of the well-dressed man is a simple one but apparently difficult to obtain. Men should be impeccably turned out and never ostentatious. The well-dressed man about town should be unremarkable yet elegant and well-groomed. His clothes should be age-appropriate, fit well and be made of appropriate fabric and color. There are few occasions which allow us to see men in their finery on a public stage and awards shows -- for better or worse -- present this opportunity. The Golden ... Read More